Over the past several decades, advanced economies, especially the United States, have seen a striking rise in inequality. David Autor of MIT, argues that trend is driven by rapidly developing technology, which has made highly educated workers much more valuable, and which is pushing others out of jobs.

The global economy is set to strengthen gradually in 2013, but risks remain. In the latest update to its World Economic Outlook, the IMF projects growth will be 3.5% this year. In this podcast, the IMF chief economist explains that despite the brighter outlook, policymakers need to address risks to the global economy.

In the second part of our series on social safety nets in sub-Saharan Africa, we look at practice on the ground. In Burkina Faso, the IMF is working with the government to develop targeted welfare programs. The aim is to identify and help the most vulnerable. But it is still a work-in-progress.

Globally, over 200 million people are unemployed, according to the IMF. Many European markets and emerging markets are suffering double-digit jobless rates, and youth and long-term unemployment are at alarming levels. What skills then do job seekers in a global labor market need to succeed?

Social safety nets aren't just charitable handouts, they're an essential way to ensure growth is sustainable, says the IMF. Safety nets range from cash transfers through health care, to public works programs to create employment. Over the last decade, more countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been adopting social safety nets to help their poorest.

The volatility and price spikes of raw commodities has affected many regions in recent years—sub-Saharan Africa among them. This is because the price of a commodity can make or break the health of a country in this region. What then can countries do to protect themselves from price shocks?

A nation's poverty or prosperity may have as much to do with politics as economics, says Daron Acemoglu. He argues that more democratic countries with inclusive political institutions create sustained prosperity, while "extractive," authoritarian regimes lead toward poverty.

Underdevelopment has often been blamed on bad policies adopted by national governments. Augustin Fosu has identified four such policies which he believes have been the cause of inefficiency, overregulation and misallocation of resources

In the last two decades, growth has accelerated significantly in most of sub-Saharan Africa. Researchers at the IMF have been exploring whether this high growth has also led to, what economists describe as, "structural transformation" on the continent.

Decades after the end of colonial rule in Africa, and more than one hundred years after the official end of the slave trade in the US, the continent remains among the least-developed regions of the globe. But how far is the trade in human beings responsible for Africa's lack of economic progress?

Despite their oil wealth, the countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community still struggle with the "Resource Curse". Sharmini Coorey, Director of the IMF's Institute of Capacity Development describe the challenges of managing oil wealth in the region, and outline policies that could help overcome them.

China's current account surplus has declined dramatically over recent years. Many economists believe this signals a much needed rebalancing of the world's second largest economy toward domestic sources of growth. So, what's the reason behind this drop and what does it mean for the rest of Asia?

Financial crises have been with us for hundreds of years. From the currency crisis of the Roman Empire to more recent events such as the 2008 financial meltdown, financial crises have been pervasive in market economies. Gary Gorton argues that crises are inevitable, but that with the right policies, their effects can be mitigated.

Historically, countries that are rich in mineral and commodity resources, like oil, copper or coffee, for example, have had lower rates of growth compared to nations which don't enjoy those advantages. It's a phenomenon dubbed the nature resource curse." Jeffrey Frankel outlines ways he believes the natural resource curse can be mitigated or even avoided.

After a period of high growth between 2007 and 2010, Malawi's economic situation took a turn for the worst. Between 2010 and 2011, growth fell two percent from 6 and a half percent. But since April this year, when a new administration took office, the country has been enjoying renewed stability and revitalized relations with partners.